Chapter 1

Quadratic Algebra

Quadratic Algebra 1
 Quadratic Algebra (Review)

It is the study of Quadratic Expressions

and
Quadratic Equations

ax 2  bx  c, a  0

ax 2  bx  c  0, a  0

Note the difference between them !!

Quadratic Algebra 2
Product expansion
Expand the following :
(a) 2x(1 – 3x) = 2x – 6x2
(b) (x + 3)(2x – 5) = 2x2 – 5x + 6x – 15 = 2x2 + x – 15
(c) –3(1 – x)(x + 3) = –3(x + 3 – x2 – 3x) = 3x2 + 6x – 9

Basic Expansion Rules

Difference Of Two Squares
(a  b)(a  b)  a 2  b 2
Perfect Squares
(a  b) 2  a 2  2ab  b 2 OR (a  b) 2  a 2  2ab  b 2

Quadratic Algebra 3
Example 1 :
Expand the following :
(a) (2x + 3)(2x – 3) = 4x2 – 9
Difference Of TWO
(b) (3x – 4)(3x + 4) = 9x2 – 16 Squares

(c) (2x + 3)2 = 4x2 + 12x + 9

(d) (2 + 5x)2 = 4 + 20x + 25x2

Perfect Squares
(e) (5 – 2x)2 = 25 – 20x + 4x2

(f) (3x – 4)2 = 9x2 – 24x + 16

What is the expansion for (a + b – 4)(a + b + 4) ?

Answer : a2 + 2ab + b2 – 16

Quadratic Algebra 4
Factorization Of Quadratics
Factorization is the reverse of expansion.
Expansion

(2 x  7)( x  3)  2 x 2  x  21

Factorization

Techniques Of Factorization
1. Difference of two squares
4 x 2  1  (2 x  1)( 2 x  1) 2 x 2  18  2( x 2  9)
9  16 x 2  (3  4 x)(3  4 x)  2( x  3)( x  3)
2. Perfect squares
x 2  10 x  25  ( x  5) 2 3 x 2  12 x  12  3( x 2  4 x  4)
x 2  12 x  36  ( x  6) 2  3( x  2) 2
3. Trial and error

Quadratic Algebra 5
Completing The Square

The algebraic technique of converting the quadratic form

ax2 + bx + c
a square a positive
into the form

a(x + p)2 + q

“Completing the Square” is the process of writing a quadratic

as a SUM or DIFFERENCE of a square and a positive.

( x  2) 2  5 2( x  1) 2  2 ( x  1) 2  5 4( x  2) 2  2

( x  4) 2  8  ( x  3) 2  1 ( x  2) 2  7  2( x  11) 2  3

SUM DIFFERENCE
Quadratic Algebra 6
Completing The Square

ax 2  bx  c a ( x  p) 2  q

WRITE

HOW?
b c
ax 2  bx  c  a [ x 2  x  ] Factorize ‘a’
a a
b b b c
 a [x2  x  ( )2  ( )2  ]
a 2a 2a a
b 2 b2 c
 a [( x  )   ]
2a 2 a
4a
b 2 b2
 a (x  )  c
2a 4a

Quadratic Algebra 7
Example 2 :
Write the following as the sum or difference of a square and a
positive. (Completing the square)

1. x2 – 4x + 9 = x2 – 4x + (–2)2 – (–2)2 + 9
= (x – 2)2 – 4 + 9 = (x – 2)2 + 5

2. x2 + 6x + 2 = x2 + 6x + 32 – 32 + 2 = (x + 3)2 – 9 + 2 = (x + 3)2 – 7

3. x2 – 2px + 5 = x2 – 2px + (–p)2 – (–p)2 + 5 = (x – p)2 – p2 + 5

2 7 2 2 2 7
4. 2x2+ 12x – 7  2 [ x  6 x  ]  2 [ x  6 x  3  3  ]
2 2
7 2
 2 [( x  3) 2  9  ]  2( x  3)  25
2
2 4 2 2 2 4
5. 3x – 6px + 4  3 [ x  2 px  ]  3 [ x  2 px  ( p)  ( p)  ]
2
3 3
4 2 2
 3 [( x  p) 2  p 2  ]  3 ( x  p)  3 p  4
3
Quadratic Algebra 8
Positive Definite
WHAT IS A POSITIVE DEFINITE?
A positive definite is a quadratic that is
POSITIVE for all values of x.

Consider the quadratic :

On completing
x2 – 4x + 9 = (x – 2)2 + 5
the square
Since (x – 2)2 ≥ 0 for all x ,
 (x – 2)2 + 5 > 0 for all x.
Therefore x2 – 4x + 9 > 0 for all x.
The quadratic x2 – 4x + 9 is always positive.
Thus, we say that the quadratic is a ‘positive definite.’

Quadratic Algebra 9
Reducible Quadratics
All quadratics of the form
(x + 2)2 – 1, (x – 3)2 – 9, (x + 1)2 – 5
can be factorized into real linear factors.
For example : (x + 2)2 – 1 = (x + 2)2 – 12
Using
= (x + 2 + 1)(x + 2 – 1) a2 – b2 = (a + b)(a – b)
= (x + 3)(x + 1)
(x + 1)2 – 5 = (x + 1)2 – (5)2
= (x + 1 + 5)(x + 1 – 5)

Such quadratics are said to be REDUCIBLE.

Thus, a reducible quadratic is one that can be written

as the difference between a square and a positive.

Quadratic Algebra 10
Irreducible Quadratics
All quadratics of the form
(x + 2)2 + 1, (x – 3)2 + 9, (x + 1)2 + 5
CANNOT be factorized into real linear factors.

Such quadratics are said to be IRREDUCIBLE.

Thus, a irreducible quadratic is one that can be

written as the sum of a square and a positive.

What about the following quadratics?

– (x – 1)2 + 4, – 2 (x + 5)2 + 10
– (x – 3)2 – 9, – 3(x + 2)2 – 16

Quadratic Algebra 11
Solving Quadratic Equations

The roots of a quadratic equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 are the

values of x that satisfy the given equation.
Solving a quadratic equation is the process of finding
the roots.

Example 3 :
(a) If ‘4’ is a root of the equation, 3x2 – 10x + k = 0, find k.
Solution : ‘4’ must satisfy the
3(4) 2  10(4)  k  0 equation
48  40  k  0
 k  8
(b) If ‘– 3’ is a root of the equation, 2x2 + kx + k – 6 = 0, find k.
Answer : k = 6

Quadratic Algebra 12
Solving Quadratic Equations : (Review)
The common methods used to solve Quadratic Equations are :
Completing Quadratic
Factorization
The Square Formula

Rules : Rules : Rules :

1. Write the 1. Write the 1. Write the
equation in the equation in the equation in the
general form, form, general form,
ax2 + bx + c = 0. a(x + p)2 + q = 0 ax2 + bx + c = 0.
2. Fully factorize 2. Solve the equation. 2. Use the formula,
the LHS.
 b  b 2  4ac
3. Equate each x
2a
factor to zero.

Note : Solve the quadratic equation 6x2 = 1 – x using all three

methods.
Quadratic Algebra 13
Types & Nature of Roots
The roots of the quadratic equation, ax2 + bx + c = 0, are given by :

 b  b 2  4ac
x
2a Discriminant

The discriminant, b2 – 4ac, determines the type and nature

of roots of a quadratic equation.

Discriminant () Nature Of Roots

b2 – 4ac = 0 Two real & identical roots

b2 – 4ac  0 Two real & distinct roots

b2 – 4ac  0 No real roots

Quadratic Algebra 14
Example 3 :
The quadratic equation hx2 + 2hx + h = 1 – 2x has two real and
equal roots. Find the value of h.
Solution : Arrange the quadratic
hx 2  (2h  2) x  h  1  0 equation in the general form.

b 2  4ac  0 Since the quadratic equation

has TWO real & equal roots.
(2h  2) 2  4h(h  1)  0

4 h 2  8h  4  4 h 2  4 h  0
1
 h
3

Quadratic Algebra 15
Example 4 :
The quadratic equation x2 – 8x + 10 = p(3 – 2x) has two real and
distinct roots. Find the possible values of p.
Solution : Arrange the quadratic
x 2  (2 p  8) x  10  3 p  0 equation in the general form.

b2 – 4ac  0 Since the roots are

(2p – 8)2 – 4(1)(10 – 3p)  0 real & distinct

4p2 – 32p + 64 – 40 + 12p  0

4p2 – 20p + 24  0
p
4(p – 2)(p – 3)  0 2 3

 p  2, p  3

Quadratic Algebra 16
Example 5 :
The quadratic equation x2 – mx = 3 – 2m has NO real roots.
Find the possible values of m.
Solution : Arrange the quadratic
x 2  mx  2m  3  0 equation in the general form.

b2 – 4ac  0 Since there are NO real roots.

(– m)2 – 4(1)(2m – 3)  0
m2 – 8m + 12  0
(m – 2)(m – 6)  0
m
 2m6 2 6

Quadratic Algebra 17
Example 6 :
The roots of the quadratic equation (k – 4)x2 + 2(2 – k)x + k + 1 = 0
are real. Find the range of values for k.
Solution :
(k – 4)x2 + 2(2 – k)x + k + 1 = 0
Since the roots are REAL,
b2 – 4ac  0 there are two possibilities.,
EQUAL OR DISTINCT
4(2 – k)2 – 4(k – 4)(k + 1)  0
16 – 16k + 4k2 – 4k2 + 12k +16  0
– 4k + 32  0
– 4k  – 32
k8

Quadratic Algebra 18